Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Intelligent Machines


At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements ;)

Let's assume that we're living in an age where android technology has progressed to such a point that we have human-looking machines to help us with our everyday lives. Or we're telling a story set in a future where robots are a part of the society.

These machines have been built by humans. They've been programmed by humans. They do the mundane jobs we don't want to do and/or they do the dangerous jobs that we can't do.

What if we could give these machines the ability to reason and think for themselves? Would you allow your android/robot to become self aware?
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20 comments:

  1. Alex J. CavanaughJuly 11, 2017 at 8:26 AM

    Then we would have Cylons and that's not good...

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  2. AnonymousJuly 11, 2017 at 8:59 AM

    OF course not. I've read too much Asimov. I'm on to you, robots.

    ReplyDelete
  3. bettyJuly 11, 2017 at 11:31 AM

    Nope, no self awareness here, but I would like someone who could empty the dishwasher fof me and fold the laundry.

    Betty

    ReplyDelete
  4. BirgitJuly 11, 2017 at 11:54 AM

    Then they would not do the things that are dangerous or, in essence, be our slaves. Knowing they are stronger and more capable than us, they would take over and we would be the slaves. No thanks to the I Robot theme. I would not want them to look human or animal because it would eel too uneasy for me anyway

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    1. Liz A.July 11, 2017 at 6:50 PM

      But what if having empathy makes them not dangerous?

      Delete
  5. PamJuly 11, 2017 at 12:16 PM

    OH NO....TERMINATOR! Which by the way I loved the first movie so much! Personally, I would be afraid of giving a Robot all the knowledge and them learning the rest! haha

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    1. Liz A.July 11, 2017 at 6:50 PM

      But if they learned like we learn, perhaps they would react to the world like we do.

      Delete
  6. J E OneilJuly 11, 2017 at 12:41 PM

    I'd feel super uncomfortable. If sentience is just something we're denying them...or if we gave it to them and they just stayed our machines...it sounds like slavery.

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  7. Darla M SandsJuly 11, 2017 at 2:53 PM

    I really can't answer this question without being in the situation. I think it's because I've watched/read too much science fiction material about the debate. Even Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone" covered it in an episode called "Sing the Body Electric" written by the amazing Ray Bradbury. That one had a sweet ending. ~grin~ Be well!

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    1. Liz A.July 11, 2017 at 6:51 PM

      There are two sides to this in sci fi. Which is why I asked the question :)

      Delete
  8. bookwormJuly 11, 2017 at 3:40 PM

    I've read way too much SF to answer that question. Guess, reading your other commenters, I'm in good company. So let me say this: Positronic brains and the Three (now Four) Laws of Robotics, yes. Alexa - NOOOOO

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    1. Liz A.July 11, 2017 at 6:53 PM

      Fourth law of robotics? I know the three... Oh. (Just googled it.) Right.

      Delete
  9. LilyElementJuly 11, 2017 at 3:48 PM

    That would be a no from me. I don't even like having that Amazon Alexa thing in the house lol

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    1. Liz A.July 11, 2017 at 6:53 PM

      I wouldn't consider Alexa in the class of robots I'm describing.

      Delete
  10. mshatchJuly 11, 2017 at 5:03 PM

    I'm going to buck the trend and say...it depends. I want to know more about these robots and their programming. Have they been designed to learn? But Alex makes a good point. But I bet there's a mad scientist somewhere who'd say yes...

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    1. Liz A.July 11, 2017 at 6:54 PM

      Tune in tomorrow to see what prompted this question.

      Delete
    2. Darla M SandsJuly 12, 2017 at 5:22 AM

      Ooh. I look forward to this.

      Delete
  11. Liz A.July 12, 2017 at 3:21 PM

    That's where it gets tricky. Are they going to be a danger to us?

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  12. Anna (herding cats-burning soup)July 13, 2017 at 9:42 PM

    Nooooope. I'm good skipping that. ::shudder::

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate your comments.

I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.

*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.

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